Mexico Real Estate, Much More Than A Roof Over Your Head

According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, one of the basic life necessities for all humans is the need for shelter. Our home is our shelter, but in today’s world, it is much more than just a roof over our heads.

So how did you choose your home?. Maybe you chose the convenience of city living or you opted for more space in the suburbs. Maybe it is a house for your family to grow in, or an apartment close to everything you enjoy to do. Your primary home reflects your everyday lifestyle. It is your base for work and school and entertainment. You have chosen a home that reflects how you live.

When thinking of a home, mostly we like to think of it as our refuge from the real world, a safe place to come home to. And our home should be our sanctuary. Your second home in Mexico real estate should also be your refuge, from the cold harsh winters and rat race lifestyle.

So how do you choose your second home in Mexico?

Here are six tips to help you make your decision.

1.Climate. Throughout Mexico real estate you will find that climate varies greatly. You should choose your second home in a place that offers the best climate for your lifestyle and health requirements. For example, the mountainous areas will be cooler, especially in the winter months and pleasant during the summer. The Mexican Caribbean is tropical weather all year round, with dryer more comfortable weather in the winter months and hot and very humid in the summer.

2.Safety. With all the recent bad press about the dangers of Mexico ,  safety is a factor  that many are contemplating when purchasing a second home. Most of this bad press is way overblown and most of the popular second home destinations are safe for foreigners. However, since safety is a major concern, it is best to thoroughly evaluate the area you are considering. Before judging an area, talk to others that already live there. There are online resources with blogs and message boards for popular second home communities. Find out what others have to say. You will more than likely be pleasantly surprised to find that most foreigners feel safe in their communities.

3.Lifestyle. Just like your primary residence is a reflection of your lifestyle, your 1000 second home should be so as well. What kind of activities and entertainment do you enjoy? Are you a golfer? Or a boat enthusiast? Maybe you just enjoy basking in the sun on a beautiful beach. Do you like the bustle of in town living or do you like more space and privacy? Choose a second home community that includes a variety of your preferences.

4.Type of home. When considering in Mexico real estate, it is important to decide what type of property will work best for your needs. If you will not be living in the property year round, you must consider its security and upkeep when you are gone. A gated condominium would be very convenient if you will be leaving it for months at a time. Most are gated with security. And the monthly condo fees will take care of grounds and pool maintenance. On the other hand, a single family home will require a live-in caretaker to assure the property is secure and well maintained.  Consider these factors  when making your decision.

5.Community. What type of community do you want to live in? Do you want to live in an established expatriate community? Or perhaps you wish to enjoy the rich Mexican culture and live in local communities? If you are a golfer or boat enthusiast, then there are resort communities that would offer luxury homes and condominiums.

6.Cost of living. Before you decide on an area of Mexico real estate, it is a good idea to check out the cost of living. Some second home destinations are more economical than others. Make sure you can afford the area of your choice with your current budget.

By: Thomas Lloyd

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

www.topmexicorealestate.com‘>TOPMexicoRealEstate NETWORK; "Mexico’s Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!" Playa del Carmen real estate by Thomas Lloyd He has been living, investing, and working professionally in Mexico for over 15 years. A Mexican Certified Realtor he is the current president of TOPmexicorealestate.

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I would have to say yes. Many US expats I have talked with share the same view on the US health care system. And this is not coming from people who just relocated to Mexico.  Read more…

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We have lived in Rosarito for the last 7 years leaving Los Angeles drug gang by shootings behind us. A recent article asked an expat how dangerous it was traveling to Mexico.   Read more…

Posted under General

The Life Of An Expat Is Not Always Sweetness And Light

Sitting sun lounge and looking out on your windswept and rain soaked garden it is all too easy to imagine yourself enjoying a new life in a new country, but how does the picture in your mind’s eye compare to the reality after you have made the move? Well, this is not perhaps as easy a question to answer as you might think.

Perhaps the greatest problem is that there are such a large number of variables to take into account and so many factors which are simply unknown at the outset. It is very easy, for example, to believe that the fact that you do not speak the language is not important as, in the short term at least, you may well be able to get by in your mother tongue and can always pick up the language in the longer term. Just how easy is it however to learn a language and how simple easy is it to pick up the particular language of your chosen country?

You might also be excited about the prospect of all that exotic food, but how is a possibly substantial change in your diet going to affect your health? You might very well have eaten some wonderful restaurant food on holiday trips but is this really the sort of food you will be eating on a daily basis when you are cooking for yourself?

The problems are of course minor when you compare them to adjusting mentally to living in what is not only a different country, but possibly a very different culture. The things which you have thought of as both curious and fascinating during holiday trips could well present considerable difficulty when they become a part of your daily life.

Most countries with a sizeable expatriate community develop a large support network, which usually includes an expat club which holds regular meetings, organizes events and outings, distributes its own newspaper and a great deal more. At first sight this might seem to be extremely comforting but it is worth thinking about why the expats in the region feel that it is necessary to create such an extensive support network. Indeed, when you look at the extent to which the lives of many expats revolve around the expat community you could well find yourself asking why they live abroad at all.

In fact a fair number of expats find that, once the novelty wears off, they regret their decision to move overseas but have frequently burnt their bridges and now find that they have choice except to stay where they are and to make the most of their situation.

This is not of course true of all expats and, as an expatriate myself, I can tell you that there are many of us who are very happy with our decision to live abroad and would not wish to turn the clock back. For many hundreds of people each year the decision to live overseas turns out to be the best decision they have ever made and one which they certainly do not regret. By how can you tell which group you are likely to fall into before you make your decision?

Unfortunately, you can never of course be sure, although there are several things that you can do to increase your chances of your decision being one that you will be glad you made.

One of the most important things that you can do is to try the water so to speak and that means living in your country of choice for a fair length of time before you cut your ties with home. But the crucial word here is ‘living’.

It is no use just visiting your chosen country a couple of times each year on holiday, staying in hotels and eating in restaurants. Ideally you need to spend a minimum of a year in the country and to cast off any idea of being on holiday. You have to make a determined effort to live as you would want to live in the longer term, steering clear of tourist areas and activities and becoming part of the local community. Live like a local, doing your own cooking and making the time to learn something of the local history, culture and lifestyle, while at the same time starting to learn the language.

By staying away from the expat community and integrating yourself into the local community from the very beginning you will soon find out whether or not you would be making a wise decision to move abroad permanently.

By: Donald Saunders

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

If you are thinking of traveling abroad either for a short holiday or an extended stay, then do not leave home without arranging the appropriate international travel health insurance plan. Visit MedicalHealthInsuranceToday.com for more information on this and other aspects of medical health insurance

Posted under General

Expatriate Women In Asia: Getting A Life

Due to the large number of working spouses resisting their partner’s assignment abroad, employers have realized the need to provide solutions to reduce this resistance. Fortunately, along with globalization and the Internet have come chances for trailing partners, e.g. starting your own business as a portable career or embarking on an open-learning concept.

Despite initial resistance, experienced expatriates like to pass on this advice: there will never be a dull moment and time flies. Although you may not be able to imagine at first, there are many chances to get a busy life.

Finding a job as a spouse does not automatically imply happiness in some places and you may be much better off with alternatives you never ever considered in the first place. All you need to do is to adjust your expectations and to realize that success does not always come with money!

First I would like to remind all of you that this may be the perfect time to plan for a baby! The quality of life for a mother (or father) in Asia is tremendously increased by the opportunity to engage a live-in maid or even a nanny. You do not have to miss out on night life nor are you restricted from traveling. Just take along the maid and the baby.

And there is still plenty of time for you to try the following options, which may look equally attractive in your CV or resume and offer new experiences:

Take a Degree or Course Online

Google the following keywords

Medical courses
The British Council
Open University (Singapore and Hong Kong)
International Center for Distance Learning
Master of Business Administration (University of Durham)
Real Estate US
US Paralegal Studies
University of London-External Programs
Sheffield Hallam University UK
International Center for Distance Learning
Thames Center for Open Learning Singapore
Jones International
St. George’s University
Accounting, IT, Securities
Get Educated
E-Learners
European Languages Online
Japanese Online
Chinese Online / California State University
Cartoon and Design Online Larkford Community Center Canberra
Art Online / University of Pittsburg
Global Center for Women’s Studies and Politics

Take Up A New Hobby

Sing in a choir
Master a new sport
Learn a new skill

Help the Less Fortunate

Organize charity events for your children’s school
Become a volunteer

Engage in Clubs and Schools

Join the Parent Teacher Association
Organize a local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA)
Become active in women’s/business clubs
Give talks about your hobby or job or home country

Teach a Special Skill

What you may have taken up once by yourself in your country to enjoy can turn into a much asked for skill to teach locals or other expatriates.

Set Up Your Own Business

Become a freelance writer
Write a book
Create your own web site
Become a web master
Learn the local language and culture and  become a tour guide

By: Jacqueline Reischel

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Jacqueline Reischel runs two online expatriate guides: enterShanghai.info is an award-winning Shanghai expat portal offering property search and also includes career information, immigration and other expat tips. EnterSingapore.info is a step-by-step online relocation guide for expats. Search for houses, jobs and shopping and tips for living in Singapore

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Posted under General

The Ideal Candidate For A Teaching Job Abroad

A teaching job abroad can enrich your life and add money to your pocket. But do you have what the recruiters are looking for? Do you have what it takes to thrive living abroad? The answers to these two questions must be answered before you continue in your plan to teach abroad.

It might be tempting to skip over this article, sure you are indeed the right person for the job, however, there is key information included in this article which will help determine your employability, your motivation for beginning this quest and your preferences for what kind of position you’d like.

Single or married with dependents?
Teaching couples are the most sought after commodity in international schools because they are the most cost efficient to hire. They are hired together and require only one living allowance.

Singles would come next, and are especially attractive if they are willing to share housing. Also, some schools will only hire single people. Towards the beginning of the new academic year, when schools are becoming desperate to fill their remaining vacancies, single teachers become even more attractive because they are usually very mobile, in that they have no dependents to make arrangements for.

Couples with children would head up the bottom of the list. One or two children are not an unattractive prospect for most schools, but you might find that you will not get extra benefits for having more than two children. Some people I have worked with that have three children have reported that they have had to pay tuition fees for their third child.

Teaching couples
Teaching couples and teachers with dependent spouses and/ or children should apply early on in the process when there is more flexibility. If you are intending to find positions as a teaching couple, you are not likely to be very successful to attend job fairs towards the end of the season.

It is often the case that one member of a teaching couple will find the perfect job, whilst the other member may have to make do with an acceptable or part time post.

Single teachers
Single teachers are able to find positions through to the beginning of the new academic year because they can fill school’s unfilled or unexpected vacancies easily.

Age (at both ends of the scale)
Age might be an issue in some countries because of visa requirements, but usually more mature people are attractive to international schools because they are believed to be stable.

On the other hand, many schools operate a salary scale that makes less experienced (which frequently means younger) teacher financially attractive to schools.

If you are used to being on the top of the pay scale, you might want to ask if the salary step you start on is capped. I have heard that some schools require all new teachers to the school to start on the same salary step, regardless of years of experience.

Qualifications and experience
Some sources of information on teaching in international schools state that you have to have a degree in education, a licence to teach and two years experience. This is not true at all. You will need some kind of qualification OR experience, but there are opportunities for almost everyone.

If you don’t have two years experience, then you will need to pay close attention to the sections on finding a job through job advertisements. You will probably not be invited to attend a job fair, as two years experience is one of their selection criteria for candidates. This doesn’t mean you are an unattractive candidate for schools, just that you aren’t necessarily going to get a job through a job fair.

If you have a Bachelors’ degree and a TEFL qualification you will be able to teach in an ESL position in most schools. The nature of your Bachelors’ degree is usually inconsequential; many countries expect this basic level of education to qualify for a working visa. My first teaching job was in a private language school in Taiwan when the only qualifications I had were a Bachelors’ degree in business and a TEFL certificate that the ink was still wet on.

If you have no teaching qualification at all, and no experience in teaching children, you will need to look at the section titled ‘What employment opportunities are there for my non-teaching partner?’, look into getting a TEFL certificate or one of the many non-government organisations that sponsor or offer internships in teaching in different countries.

If you do not qualify for your dream job now, do not give up in defeat. There are many opportunities to increase your qualifications both by going back to university full- or part-time, or distance learning online. Use this book to help you discover what qualifications you need to get your dream job, and go get them.

Your situation does not need to stay stagnant, there are always options to try. If you absolutely must get overseas now, then you should seriously consider TEFL as you can get a qualification to teach TEFL in 2-4 weeks full time study. Again, with TEFL qualifications there are distance and part-time options available.

Easy-going, flexible and adaptable people
Recruiters are looking for people who will cope well with the move, living in a new culture and fit in seamlessly to existing staffing situations.

Here are a few personal qualities that recruiters are looking for in candidates:

* Good sense of humour
* Easy-going
* Flexible
* Adaptable
* A good team player
* Positive outlook
* Can do anything attitude
* An optimist

Recruiters are only going to employ people who they judge to be able to thrive in challenging environments and in the midst of culture shock. It’s fine to suffer from culture shock, but you must be able to function in your job whilst going through the shock of moving countries.

There is a reason that recruiters are looking for these qualities in applicants. They are needed! It’s tough enough learning your way around a new city in your own home country, now imagine going through that learning process in a different country where you don’t speak the language and can’t read any of the signs.

If this sounds awful to you, rather than an exciting opportunity, then you probably aren’t the right person for a position at an international school. There are lots of opportunities for you to work in a country more in line with what you’re used to. I started out moving from the NZ education system to living in the UK and working in the UK education system. Check out the resources and links I’ve put on my website about finding a position in NZ or Australia.

Teaching in NZ and Australia

This is a better option to maybe work your way up to working in a really foreign environment. Don’t try and be what you aren’t when applying for positions with international schools.

Your children’s education
If you have children you will need to consider how they will adapt to the new situation.

If they are going into Year 11 (Grade 10), it is not advisable for them to enter either the IB MYP or the IGCSE system because both of these programs finish a program at the end of this year. The IGCSE exam is the culmination of two years work, and the IB MYP will only offer certificates to students who have completed two years in the program and studied all 8 subject areas.

Students are able to sit IGCSE exams without being in school for the full two years, but they will need to complete extra study in order to make up for missing the first year of the course.

Students who do not complete two years in the MYP program will receive a Record of Achievement for their final year.

For your older children, the last two years of high school in a British curriculum school or an IB Diploma school also comprise of a two year course. You will need to investigate the possibilities for your particular circumstances once you have identified schools you would like to apply for. Remember that you can ask questions as a prospective parent before you even apply for a position.

Understanding your goals
It is important to understand what you are trying to achieve by making this change in your life. This will help you to focus your job search on securing the position that will enable you to meet your goals.

Consider whether
* you are looking for new challenges personally or professionally
* you are looking to make financial gains or take a pay cut in order to give something of yourself to developing communities
* you want to develop new relationships
* you are looking to fund your move to another country in order to adopt a child
* you want to fund personal or professional research
* you are curious as to what it would be like to live and work overseas

All of these goals are perfectly valid and you probably consider that more than one of them applies to you. Or your goals may not be on this list. Whatever your goals, you must be aware of them and keep them in the back of your mind throughout the process that follows.

You might have more self development goals in mind, and working in an international school is a fantastic boost to your self esteem. I know I am an attractive employment prospect, simply because of the many experiences I have had and my proven adaptability.

Secure Your Teaching Job Abroad Today With These Proven Strategies!

Get your free copy of Kelly’s "Escape The Rat Race – Teach Overseas" here.

Posted under Employment

Is Hong Kong Any Place For Budget Travelers?

Backpacker savant and perpetually dusty photojournalist Tom Carter fails to make much of an impression in affluent Hong Kong, Asia’s wealthiest city.

Having spent over two-and-a-half straight years in the Chinese mainland without leave, it was with both anticipation and apprehension that I recently crossed the southern border into Asia’s wealthiest city.

Despite its one-stop-shopping popularity with Mainland expats needing new clothes and a new visa, I truly had no idea what to expect in the former crown colony that supposedly makes even rich men feel poor. Rather terrified of exacting reverse culture shock, I hence saved English-speaking Hong Kong and its "One Country, Two Systems" self for the tail end of my journey across the 32 Chinese provinces.

And it is here I report that all my preconceptions and fears about Hong Kong were… true. To quote the under-appreciated American writer Thomas A. Carter (me!) upon his brief sojourn in the legendary Chinese city, "I’ve never felt more poor than when I was in Hong Kong… I’ve never felt more ugly than when I was in Hong Kong."

DAY 1: Cross the Shenzhen-Hong Kong border at Louhu and catch the immaculate KCR railway, immediately impressed that nobody is staring, shoving or spitting. Arrive in Kowloon’s southern peninsula and emerge from the underground into the land of lights – Tsim Sha Tsui. Blinded with excitement, I have to ask a resplendent group of Indian women draped in saris where the Mirador Mansion is. They point their gold-ringed fingers straight up. A towering, rust-stained concrete block, and one of Hong Kong’s only affordable accommodations. I check in to a claustrophobic dorm room (three times the price of a Mainland dorm and three times as small), then hit Nathan Road. Peering up into the neon lights, tripping in the crush of the crowds, I feel just like a migrant worker back in Beijing.

DAY 2: Awoken at 6am by one of my bunkmates stumbling in after a long night. His name is Pat, a young American backpacker with long red hair whose introduction is immediately followed by a long-winded narrative about his two-week romps in Hong Kong, including scoring with the mythical "Asian girls who LOOOVE foreign guys." When I counter that I never had any such luck, the fast-talking but likeable Pat proffers some off-the-cuff advise ("Dude, lose the beard") before launching into more useful information. "It’s Sunday, okay, and there’s gonna be, like, 120,000 Filipino nannies and maids on their only day off – and looking for boyfriends!" I’m a little dubious of Pat’s generalizations, but sure enough his mobile rings continuously with calls from adoring cleaning ladies he met the Sunday before. An afternoon stroll around Statue Square indeed reveals a literal blanket of thousands of picnicking South Asian women (Hong Kong’s largest migrant communities) whose collective chatter sounds just like a large flock of seagulls. When I attempt to candidly photograph one attractive young Filipino, she shouts "Hey! I klick jor ass!" So much for getting a date.

DAY 3: Fieldtrip to Shek O beach on Hong Kong Island’s south side, savoring the soft sand and splashing in the subtropical South China Sea. Supposedly this place is packed out on the weekend, but that’s what weekdays are for, no? It’s one of those moments when I enjoy being unemployed. Chase my fun in the sun with a tram ride up Victoria Peak for a breathtaking evening vista of skyscrapers, which appear to be constructed entirely out of lights. Dafnit, an Israeli girl clearly in awe of the Hong Kong skyline, remarks, "We have no tall buildings in Israel. Oh wait… we have one!"

DAY 4: Spend the day traversing Kowloon, the fashion billboards of TST turning into seedy massage parlor billboards as I descend northwest down the Nathan Road side streets, the sun lost behind precipices of neon signs stretching horizontally over the streets. The markets of Mong Kok are mobbed with uniformed students on lunch break: long-haired boys with untucked white shirts and loosened ties, and made-up girls in little outfits out of a Japanese kogal/hentai fantasy: knee-high black stockings, short skirts and a Louis Vuitton bag to carry their pencils and books. They have tattoos, tongue piercings and smoke cigarettes. After commenting that they are the hippest students in China I’ve seen, one 15-year-old boy replies in perfect English, "Yes, so cool, but so young."

DAY 5: I want to see how the other half lives and spend the day in Central, Hong Kong Island’s microcosm of capitalism. Cross Victoria Harbor by the centuries-old Star Ferry through a morning miasma of pollution and follow white-collared crowds of businessmen contending with cell phones, briefcases and latts into their respective skyscrapers. Later observe as many women shopping in designer department stores – these must be the wives. I notice that they all clutch their purses as I walk by, then realize why as I catch a glimpse of myself in the reflective fa?ade of the Bank of China tower. My head cast down in self-consciousness, I almost get rolled over by a Rolls (driving on the wrong side of the road, damn Brits!), then almost again by a double-decker cable car. Everyone in Central must be against me. My insecurities are firmed up that evening in Lan Kwai Fong, a gentrified neighborhood of upscale restaurants and bars on the Island’s northern escarpment. The steep streets are congested with young, well-to-do westpats toasting yet another successful day of money -making. I can’t believe there are so many white people in China who aren’t English teachers! They are all smartly dressed and have well-groomed hair; I am wearing cutoff army pants, low-top fake Converse, an eight year old t-shirt that I bought used, nor have I shaved or cut my locks in the eight months I’ve been on the road. I want to belong, but I don’t. It’s one of those moments when I regret being unemployed.

DAY 6: I give the Island another chance and take the night ferry across the harbor to the north end’s older and seedier nightspot, the infamous Wan Chai. Recall it is where Richard Mason penned his 1950’s tale of forbidden love, "The World Of Suzie Wong," though a lot has changed since he wrote "take a minute’s stroll from the center and you won’t see a European." The pick-up bars still line the road, yum-yum girls luring passersby into their neon-lit dens, but these are the illegitimate daughters of Suzie Wong, not of Chinese but Thai dissent, wearing not elegant silk cheongsams but cheap miniskirts raised to immodest heights. And unlike the kindly ladies of the Nam Kok Hotel, these modern-day working girls are vicious, mercenary, cold. When a group of obviously disappointed white boys emerge from one venue exclaiming, "In Thailand they take off ALL their clothes," the brown-skinned door girl in plastic go-go boots is quick to shout back, "Then go to Thailand!" Further down Lockhart I follow a couple of older Europeans primed with drink and flirting heavily with a lovely bouquet of girls looking for generous company. After making their arrangements, one of the men leans on me and confides, "Wy mife, I mean my wife, thinks I’m *HICCUP* at a conference." The remaining girls give this poor writer a cursory glance then quickly cross the street away from me.

DAY 7: I wake up feeling dejected and classless; the expatriates of Central don’t want me, nor do the waterfront girls of Wan Chai. Take a stroll around TST, passing by friendly knots of third-world hustlers hanging out in front of the Chungking Mansions, the immigrant ghetto of Kowloon that serves as temporary living quarters for Hong Kong’s financially insolvent migrs. A street corner tout from Kashmir says to me "The Mansions is where anyone not wearing pastel shorts or a suit stay." I realize this mad cauldron of multiculturalism is the only place I truly feel at home in Hong Kong. The Africans on the never-quiet front steps always high-five me, the Pakistanis all think I’m Muslim (must be the beard), and the Indians bat their eyelashes at me. The Chungking Mansions are the international haunt for anyone who is no one, and I am one of them. It is a peasant’s epiphany – in Hong Kong, I am the ‘nongmin.’

TOM CARTER is the author of ‘CHINA: Portrait of a People,’ a definitive 600-page book of photography due out winter 2007 from Hong Kong publisher Blacksmith Books.

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Posted under General

Free To View Television In Spain

Freeview is a digital tv package that is available to people living in the UK but which is also available to the British expats living in Spain. 

For many years now, British expats have been flocking to the warmer shores of southern Spain in the Mediterranean in order to get away from the damp and dreary weather of the UK. Many go to Spain in order to live there permanently, with many others spending weeks or even months at a time there for their holidays.

Adapting to both the language and cultural differences can be difficult enough, but one thing that expats can find even more frustrating, Is the fact that they are not able to watch the television programmes that they enjoyed most frequently when living in the UK such as BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4 and Channel 5. There are also dozens of other channels that are available to view for free including everything from movies and sport, to home shopping and news.

Many fear that their only option is to watch local Spanish television channels, which means that unless they are fluent in Spanish, which is not going to be the most pleasurable of experiences. After all, it’s not much fun watching a film, if you are unable to comprehend what is being said.

What a lot of British expats fail to realise, is that they can watch their favourite UK TV channels for free via free to view television in Spain. This also means that they do not have to subscribe and pay monthly for a satellite package such as Sky.

There are a number of satellite installation companies that are run by expats on the Costa del Sol and other parts of Spain, who can install free to view television in Spain in around an hour.

The installation of a satellite dish and a digital set top box is also required in order to be able to view the freeview service. A small amount of space is normally required to mount the dish and make sure that it is aligned precisely to the correct satellite.

The digital box or digibox as it is often referred is a small box that connects to the cable from the dish to your existing video and television equipment. These are easy to install and in most cases will be provided by your satellite installation and freeview provider.

Once the freeview service is installed, there are no further payments to pay, as no monthly subscription is required in order to view freeview and its associated channels.

So if you do move to Spain, remember that those programmes that you loved so much when living in the UK are still available to you and can make that transition from the UK to Spain that much more comfortable.

Zapatero talks to Mahmud Abbas and Ehud Olmert, in news and expat …
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175 visa : British Expat Discussion Forum
British Expats � Home � Discussion Forum � Articles � Wiki � Classifieds � Photo Gallery � Blogs; Chat; Arcade � Links � Forum Index � Meet Ups; Karma Fun; Mark Forums Read � Members List � Read more…

Posted under General

Health Care in Spain

The health care service in Spain is excellent for both Spanish nationals and ex-pats alike. Find out how you can be sure you can receive treatment if necessary whilst visiting Spain.

Health care in Spain is of a very high standard with good local health centres or Centros de Salud and here on the Costa del Sol we have an excellent central hospital, the "Costa del Sol", at Marbella. In addition to which there are of course many other hospitals both private and public but most ex-pats tend to gravitate towards the "Costa del Sol" and you hear very good reports of the treatment people have received there.

Certainly my own experiences through attending the A & E, or "Urgencias" when the children were little were very positive. On one occasion my son broke his foot and we were in and out within and hour having had the offending foot, x-rayed and plastered.

The staff there are kind and caring and there are translators on hand if your Spanish is limited. They have a very positive attitude to relatives and in fact are quite happy for one to be present at the hospital 24 hours a day.

When my other son of 15 was in with a broken leg he shared a room with a younger boy and they pushed the beds together so that the boys father could sleep there. A bit unorthodox by some standards perhaps but the Spanish are extremely family oriented and they made every effort to include my son in their visits.

Your E111, or European Health Card as it is now called, will suffice for many of your needs in relation to your health care in Spain and in fact both the incidents sited above were taken care of by my E111 even though the latter involved quite a complex operation with my son’s leg being pinned. Follow up treatment needs to be paid for however so private health insurance is advisable if you are living in Spain or travel insurance if you are just visiting. You can apply for this new card online here.

If you are living and working in Spain and therefore paying social security then you will be entitled to the same health care in Spain as Spanish nationals. If you are in receipt of a U.K. pension and intend to live in Spain then you need to get a form E121 and this should be taken to your nearest Instituto Nacional de Seguridad Social (INSS) office for registration. You will then be issued with a medical card which you must produce if you require treatment anywhere and you will then receive this free of charge.

Spanish chemists, or Farmacias, are a great part of health care in Spain and are a good port of call if your symptoms are not serious enough to worry your doctor or take you to the A&E department of the hospital. You will always receive good advice there and probably be recommended something for whatever ails you. If you are receiving prescription drugs at home then bring the packet with you and you will probably find that you will be able to buy your medicines over the counter without the need of a further prescription. I must say however that I think their rather free practice of dishing out antibiotics to anyone who asks is not really to be condoned.

In conclusion the level of health care in Spain for both residents and non-residents is of the highest standard and waiting lists are probably shorter than in the U.K. Accident and emergency treatment is provided free for anyone with a European Health card and the full medical services are available for pensioners who have registered with the appropriate authority and for anyone paying into the social security system.

Article submitted by Ruth Polak the owner of www.costadelsol-vacationrentals.com A web site specializing in holiday villas and apartments on the Costa del Sol and in Rural Andalucia. You will also find lots of information about Spain and Andalucia, in particular.

Posted under Health Issues

Best Paid Overseas Teaching Jobs

To ensure you land the best paid overseas teaching job you need to consider more than just the salary being offered. Benefits and income tax can either significantly add to or subtract from your savings potential.

Here’s how… When looking for the best paid overseas teaching job it is easy to be blinded by the salary being offered but this may prevent you from making the best choice if saving money is your primary concern. Here are two tips to help you find the highest paying teaching job abroad – net.

Teaching jobs abroad come in many shapes and sizes. You can teach English in private language schools, teach at universities set up for local students from the host countries and, you can teach at international schools which are set up for expatriate children. The most lucrative position is usually teaching at an international school for expatriate children. There are over 4000 international schools worldwide so there is plenty from which to choose.

Salary and Benefits

When considering a teaching position abroad it is important that you consider the overall package rather than simply the salary offered. This is what makes an international school teaching job the best paid teaching position abroad.

Some benefits offered by many international schools that can add to the overall package are:

* flights paid from your home to the school’s location at the beginning and end of your contract. Depending on how far your home is from the school, this benefit alone can save you several thousand dollars.

* housing allowance. Often international schools will pay you a monthly housing allowance, or even provide accommodation for you in an apartment or a housing complex. When you are offered a housing allowance you can usually find yourself adequate housing for the amount you are paid, and sometimes you can even end up with a surplus.

* end-of-contract bonus. International schools want you to remain for the full length of your contract and are willing to give you a financial incentive to do so. You may be able to negotiate an end-of-contract bonus of 10-15%.

Income Tax

Another consideration when considering teaching positions abroad and attempting to evaluate which one will be the most profitable is how much tax you will have to pay. Countries have the differing tax rules, for example in Taiwan you may only pay 10% tax, but in Poland you will have to pay closer to 20%. Therefore it is important to find out how much tax you will have to pay and establish how this will affect your overall take home salary.

Also, some benefits are taxable as well, so it is wise to check whether the dollar amounts you are quoted are gross (before tax) or net (after tax).

Finally on the subject of income tax, you should check with the tax department in your home country to establish what your tax commitment to them will be. Simply not living in your home country does not mean your government will not require you to pay tax there, for example, the government in Holland expects citizens who teach abroad to pay ‘wealth tax’ on any assets they leave behind.

This information is difficult to come by for most international schools in the initial stages of the recruitment process. Some international teacher job fair organisers require member schools to complete some of this information in their vacancy listings, but others do not. In order to ensure you have the required information to make the best decision possible before you sign a contract for a teaching job overseas, make up a set of interview questions that will cover this ground.

For more detailed information on securing the best paid overseas teaching jobs get Kelly’s Complete Guide to Securing a Job at an International School – now completely revised for 2008!

"Escape the Rat Race – Teach Overseas" available FREE!

Posted under Employment

The Secret To Moving Internationally

The biggest secret I have found to moving is to stay calm, my stomach always used to churn every time we would say: ‘Let’s look at moving to London, Perth, Colorado….’ I would have this rush in the pit of my stomach and wonder how we were going to cope with the challenge.

Now, I take it one step at a time. What do we do first, what do we need to know before we make the decision, how does the family feel about a new culture, different schools, a new home and most importantly new friends.

So, where do we start? Usually with the most important questions, why are we moving and do we really want to change from our comfort zone, once you have been able to answer these questions and you have more positives about leaving than staying (and the answer to this could be as simple as being offered a job in a new country), then you need to start researching the place you are moving to.

Questions start surfacing such as will we fit in and be happy in a new country, what is the education like, medical facilities, culture, politics, housing, work conditions, transport and entertainment? How many expats like ourselves will be living there, will our life be normal or will we have to adjust too extremely, and are we happy to do this?

This is where I start searching the internet. Wikipedia is a great site to get an overall overview on any country in the world and it will cover all the basic factual information for you, including geographical location, population, historical background, religion, culture, education, economic situation and political info.

On getting a basic understanding of a country, I would then start looking at government sites and gathering information about the ease of moving to this country. What is required from a governmental legal perspective, including visa’s, whether a spouse can work on entry, how long a spouse needs to wait before starting to work, what legal rights do you have in the country, can you take your pets with and how does this work, what furniture can you take with (some countries do not allow wooden furniture into a country if it has not been treated) these government sites will cover any and all questions of this nature for you.

Finally and probably more importantly are the forums and blogs you can find, where expats can inform you of what to expect and you can ask any question and expect an honest answer. These sites can come across with mixed emotions from people who are enjoying the move and loving the country to those who hate every minute of their stay. The relevant question to ask here is why….why are they enjoying or hating it and then make your own decision?

The above would be the questions that the spouse that stays at home and cares for the children, however the bread winner wants a different question answered. They want to know what they should be earning in the new country and this is where an international cost of living salary calculator like xpatulator can be relevant to you.
Xpatulator gives you the answers you are looking for dependant on the questions you answer in the Cost of Living Calculator. It will determine what your salary in the new country should be to maintain your standard of living.

Why, you may ask? Because $100 000 may sound like a fabulous salary, however if your cost of living in the country you are moving to is extremely high, it may not cover your costs on a monthly basis. With the calculator, you can determine whether or not you will be able to afford to live in the new country. The calculator will work out the salary you should be earning if you have to cover all costs, or if your company will cover some of those costs for you. They also cover the Negative Cost of Living and Negative Hardship. What are these you ask with horror? Negative Cost of Living refers to a location that has a lower cost of living than the country you are living in and selecting to use this will result in a proportional decrease in the salary required e.g. if you had to move from London to Zimbabwe you will find the cost of living will be lower (negative difference). Negative Hardship refers to less hardship in the new location e.g. if you had to move from Zimbabwe to London you will find that your quality of living will be easier (negative difference).

So before you disregard the importance of what you need to earn when moving to a new country, take all aspects into account. At the end of the day what you will earn, will determine the school, home, medical facilities and entertainment you will be able to afford. So the secret to moving from one country to another, may be your emotional stability and happiness in the new location, however this is often determined by how much money is sitting in your bank account.

By: Steven Coleman

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Steven Coleman runs the most comprehensive international relocation calculator available, an internet service that is used primarily to calculate expatriate salary levels for international assignments, which can be found at www.xpatulator.com

Real Estate Blog – Top 5 Tips for International Relocation

Moving Back to the United States After a Few Years Abroad or Relocating to a Foreign Country? There are plenty of guides that focus on less complicated local moves. Here are a couple good ones:…   Read more…

Posted under General